Air vent hassock



Oct. 25, 1949. F. A. POWELL 2,485,918

AIR VENT HAS SOCK Filed DOQ. 31, l947 INVENTOR.

FRA/v/r A P0 WEL 1.

BY M W ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 25, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .6 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to cushioned furniture and, more particularly, to a novel and improved hassock wherein the features of light weight, durability, comfort and pleasing appearance are all achieved by a simple and 1owcost construction. The invention further contemplates the provision of a hassock in which the cushion is characterized by a beaded or bowed perimeter which projects beyond the vertical sides of the supporting structure and which will permanently retain that form. An additional obiect of the invention is to provide a hassock of increased comfort through the use of a ieldable, ventilated cushion carried by a hollow, drumlike support, the cushion being adapted to yield to pressure and expel air into the support, and, upon removal of such pressure, to expand under its own resilience and take in air from such hollow support.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved in the manner described in the following specification wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing a hassock constructed according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of one form of segment which may be used in fabricating the perimetric portion of the hassock cushion;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the segment i1- lustrated in Fig. 2, showing the sleeve-like construction thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional perspective view of the hassock depicted in Fig. 1 with the stuffing removed from the center of the cushion, illustrating the manner in which the resilient stuffing material in the perimetric portion of the cushion forms the permanent beading or bulge therein.

-Like parts will be designated by like numerals throughout the drawing and specification.

Referring now to the drawing, the hassock there illustrated comprises a hollow drum portion I, preferably of wood, fiber, or other strong lightweight material. The drum is provided with a substantially rigid cover member 2 which ma be made of the same material as that used in the construction of the drum, the cover having perforations 3 therein. Supported by the cover 2 is a. cushion, shown generally as 4, which cushion is defined by a flexible top cover member 5 and a bottom retaining fabric 6 joined substantially at their perimeters by a flexible perimetric strip "a".

Attached to the perimetric strip 1 are a plurality of flexible inner strips 8 of any desirable material, such as a textile fabric, the attachment of such inner strips to the perimetric strip 1 being such as to form a plurality of sleeves 9 the longitudinal dimensions of which extend perimetrically around the cushion. This construction is best shown in Fig. 4. Sufficient stuffing material I!) is placed within the sleeves 9 and in the spaces l2 between the adjacent inner strips 8, as well as in the central portion of the cushion, to impart the desirable shape and resilience to the entire cushion structure. While any suitable cushion stuffing material, such as hair, may be used, I prefer to use kapok for this purpose because of its light weight and resilience.

It will be understood that the perimetric strip 7 may be of one-piece construction, if desired. However, I prefer to form such perimetric strip by sewing together segments thereof which are pref erably generally quadrangular in shape as shown at la in Fig. 2. Again, although a single inner strip, coextensive with the perimetric strip 1 to form a single continuous sleeve therewith, may

be used if desired, I prefer to employ a number of relatively narrow inner strips 8 as above described. In this wa convenient segments of the perimetric portion of the cushion may be prefabricated, each containing a portion 7a of the perimetric strip 1 and an inner strip 8, sewn or otherwise attached to each other as at H (see Fig. 2). This not only simplifies the manufacture of the cover portion of the cushion but greatly facilitates the step of introducing the stuffing material into the sleeves 9 forming the perimeter thereof. Also, the spaces I2 between the several inner strips 8 provided by this construction permit air to move between the center and the perimeter of the cushion, thus allowing the entire cushion to be ventilated.

An important feature of my improved hassock construction which adds materially to its appearance is the bowed or beaded perimeter of the cushion and the manner in which it projects over the sides of the supporting drum I, as shown in Fig. 1. By the cushion construction described above the substantial permanence of the bowed or beaded perimetric surface of the cushion is assured. It will be readily understood from the above description that when the sleeve portions 9 of the cushion are filled with a cushion stufiing material such as kapok, the lateral pressure of the closely confined stuffing maintains the sleeve fully expanded so that the portion thereof forming the peripheral surface of the cushion is maintained in its rounded or bowed configuration. Since such lateral pressure will be present within the sleeves 9 as long as they contain the stuming material, the bowed form of the cushion is assured for an indefinite period. Experience has taught me that if such sleeve construction is not employed to form the perimeter of the cushion, the bowed or beaded form thereof will not be maintained for any considerable time since, in use, the stufiing tends to migrate somewhat from the perimetric surface of the cushion, thereby considerably reducing the lateral pressure of the stuffing against it. In a short time the sides of such a cushion are drawn inwardly by the resilient force of the stuffing acting against the top and bottom portions of the cushion, causing the sides thereof to become substantially cylindrical and vertical.

The bottom retaining fabric 6 has an opening l3, preferably in the center thereof, which opening is aligned with the perforations 3 in the cover member 2. A screen I4 or other air-pervious member is disposed between the perforations 3 and the opening I3 to prevent loss of the cushion stuffing material to the drum. For convenience, I have shown the screen l4 reposed in a recess H: in the cover member 2, but it will be understood that the screen may be otherwise fixed to the cover or to the bottom retaining fabric 6, or it may be loose between these members, if desired.

The drum is preferably provided with a bottom portion it which may be perforated as at I! to allow access of air to the hollow interior thereof. If desired, lugs or coasters l8 may be provided on the bottom portion [6 by which the drum may be maintained in spaced relation with respect to any supporting surface, such as a floor (not shown). A pair of flaps 19, only one of which is shown, may be attached to the lower edge of the cushion on a diameter thereof to serve as handles for lifting the hassock.

Wide latitude is of course permissible in the selection of the exterior covering for the hassock cushion and for the hollow drum support. I prefer to employ textile fabrics impregnated with a highly plasticized vinyl resin as the exterior covering for the hassocks of the present invention because of the great strength and durability as well as the pleasing appearance of such covering material. According to my preferred hassock construction the hollow drum support I is covered as shown at 20 with the same or similar covering material used for the cushion, and the covering 20 is secured to the base of the cushion in any convenient manner, as by sewing. The cushion may then be made fast to the supporting drum by drawing the covering 2t tightly over the drum and folding the loose edge 2! thereof a short distance under the drum, where it may be tacked or otherwise firmly joined to the bottom portion [6.

When used as a seat or foot-rest, a hassock made according to the present invention yields slowly to the applied pressure, with the accompanying compression of the cushion stuffing and the escape of air from the cushion into the 1101- low support through the perforations in the cover of the support. When the pressure is removed from the exterior of the cushion, the stuifing expands under its restorative resilient force, causing air to re-enter the cushion from the drum, and allowing the cushion to resume its original shape. Since the perimetric portion of the cushion is constantly maintained under a positive lateral pressure by the resilient stuffing contained in the sleeves extending around the cushion, the bowed or beaded configuration of 4 the perimeter of the cushion is assured indefinitely and, while the perimeter will likewise yield to external pressure, the bowed configuration thereof is quickly restored upon removal of such pressure.

What I desire to claim is:

1. A hassock comprising a hollow support, a perforate rigid cover for said support, and a cushion containing a yieldable and resilient stufflng carried by said cover, said cushion having an area in its underside pervious to the passage of air and aligned with said perforations in said cover, whereby air may pass between said cushion and said hollow support, said cushion comprising top and bottom retaining portions and a perimetric portion connecting said top and bottom portions along the perimeters thereof, said perimetric portion comprising an outer strip adapted to form a part of the exterior surface of said cushion, and an inner stripattached to said outer strip to form a sleeve therewith, the longitudinal dimension of said sleeve extending perimetrically around said cushion, said sleeve containing part of said resilient stufiing, whereby said outer strip of the perimetric portion is bowed outwardly of the cushion to form a rounded perimetric surface thereon.

2. A hassock comprising a hollow support, a perforate rigid cover for said support, and a cushion containing a yieldable and resilient stuffing carried by said cover, said cushion having an area in its underside pervious to the passage of air and aligned with said perforations in said cover, whereby air may pass between said cushion and said hollow support, said cushion comprising top and bottom retaining portions and a perimetric portion connecting said top and bottom portions along the perimeters thereof, said perimetric portion comprising an outer strip adapted to form a part of the exterior surface of said cushion and a plurality of spaced inner strips attached to said outer strip to form a plurality of sleeves therewith, the longitudinal dimensions of said sleeves extending perimetrically around said cushion, said sleeves containing part of said resilient stuffing whereby said outer strip of the perimetric portion is bowed outwardly of the cushion to form a rounded perimetric surface on said cushion.

3. A hassock comprising a hollow support, a perforate rigid cover for said support, and a cushion containing a yieldable and resilient stufiing carried by said cover, said cushion having an area in its underside pervious to the passage of air and aligned with said perforations in said cover, whereby air may pass between said cushion and said hollow support, said cushion comprising top and bottom retaining portions and a perimetricv portion connecting said top and bottom portions along the perimeters thereof, said perimetric portion comprising an outer strip adapted to form a part of the exterior surface of said cushion and a plurality of spaced inner strips attached to said outer strip to form a plurality of sleeves therewith, said outer strip comprising a plurality of generally quadrangular segments sewn end to end, one of said inner strips being attached to each of said segments, said sleeves being disposed end to end around said cushion and containing part of said resilient stuffing whereby said segments are bowed outwardly of said cushion. V

4. A hassock comprising a hollow support, a perforate rigid cover for said support, a cushion containing a yieldable and resilient stuffing carried by said cover, said cushion having an opening in the underside thereof aligned with said perforations in said cover, whereby air may pass between said cushion and said hollow support, a screen interposed between said opening and said perforations, said screen having openings of such size as to substantially prevent the passage of said stuffing, and a perforate rigid bottom portion for said hollow support, said bottom portion including a plurality of spacers externally thereof, whereby said hollow support is maintained in spaced relation with respect to a supporting surface therefor, said cushion comprising top and bottom retaining portions and a perimetric portion connecting said retaining portions along the perimeters thereof, said perimetric portion comprising an outer strip adapted to form a part of the exterior surface of said cushion, and an inner strip attached to said outer strip to form a sleeve therewith, the longitudinal dimension of said sleeve extending perimetrically around said cushion, said sleeve containing part of said resilient stufiing, whereby said outer strip of the perimetric portion is bowed outwardly of the cushion to form a rounded perimetric surface thereon.

5. A hassock comprising a hollow support, a perforate rigid cover for said support, a cushion containing a yieldable and resilient stuffing carried by said cover, said cushion having an opening in the underside thereof aligned with said perforations in said cover, whereby air may pass between said cushion and said hollow support, a screen interposed between said opening and said perforations, said screen having openings of such size as to substantially prevent the passage of said stufiing, and a perforate rigid bottom portion for said hollow support, said bottom portion including a plurality of spacers externally thereof, whereby said hollow support is maintained in spaced relation with respect to a supporting surface therefor, said cushion comprising top and bottom retaining portions and a perimetric portion connecting said retaining portions along the perimeters thereof, said perimetric portion comprising an outer strip adapted to form a part of the exterior surface of said cushion and a plurality of spaced inner strips attached to said outer strip to form a plurality of sleeves therewith, the longitudinal dimensions of said sleeves extending perimetrically around said cushion, said sleeves containing part of said resilient stuffing, whereby 6 said outer strip of the perimetric portion is bowed outwardly of the cushion to form a rounded periinetric surface thereon.

6. A hassock comprising a hollow support, a perforate rigid cover for said support, a cushion containing a yieldable and resilient stuffing carried by said cover, said. cushion having an opening in the underside thereof aligned with said perforations in said cover, whereby air may pass between said cushion and said hollow support, a screen interposed between said opening and said perforations, said screen having openings of such size as to substantially prevent the passage of said stuffing, and a perforate rigid bottom portion for said hollow support, said bottom portion including a plurality of spacers externally thereof whereby said hollow support is maintained in spaced relation with respect to a supporting surface therefor, said cushion comprising top and bottom retaining portions and a perimetric portion connecting said retaining portions along the perimeters thereof, said perimetric portion comprising an outer strip adapted to form a part of the exterior surface of said cushion and a plurality of spaced inner strips attached to said outer strip to form a plurality of sleeves therewith, said outer strip comprising a plurality of generally quadrangular segments sewn end to end, one of said inner strips being attached to each of said segments, said sleeves being disposed end to end around said cushion and containing part of said resilient packing material, whereby said segments are bowed outwardly of said cushion.

FRANK A. POWELL.

REFERENCES CHTED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: I

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Australia July 10, 1930 Number Number 

